


Everything Ends

by Allamarain



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Thasmin if you squint, Yet another 13 at Sarah Jane's funeral fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24263230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allamarain/pseuds/Allamarain
Summary: After Ryan and Graham decided their days traveling with the Doctor were over, Yaz chose to stay on. But as much as she tried, she was no closer to solving the enigma of the Time Lord than she was before.  But when the TARDIS (purposely) takes them off course, the two time travelers make an impromptu trip to a memorial service, during which Yaz gets a glimpse into the Doctor's past.
Relationships: The Doctor (Doctor Who) & Sarah Jane Smith, Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan
Comments: 1
Kudos: 60





	Everything Ends

**Author's Note:**

> This is set some time after "Revolution of the Daleks." In short, the Doctor comes back and tells them nothing about the Timeless Child or being in prison. Because of course she doesn't.

The TARDIS shifted as it spun, reminding Yaz of a carnival ride. She gripped the edge of the console, looking over at the Doctor as she tried to calm her lurching stomach. The Time Lord's face was fixed in grim determination as she bent over the console, but with the glint of joy in her eyes. Yaz relaxed slightly, though she kept a strong grip on the console. It wasn't unusual to have a rough ride aboard the TARDIS, but given the Doctor's expression, they weren't in danger. 

Well, no more than usual, anyway. 

Eventually, the spinning slowed to a stop. As the TARDIS settled, Yaz heard the usual wooshes, signaling their landing. 

"Made it!" The Time Lord broke into a gleeful smile, throwing up her fists.

"23rd century Mars?" Despite her eagerness, Yaz carefully loosened her grip. It wasn't unusual to have the ship give a sudden lurch after she'd stopped.

"Yes! Probably. Maybe." The Doctor pulled a monitor towards her. After studying it for a moment, her face fell. "No."

"What is it? Where are we?"

"Ealing, London. Early 21st century," she said in a deadened voice, each word punctuated by a brief pause.

"Is that bad?" Yaz peered at the Doctor. "Does something happen?"

"No. Well, yes." She looked up to the ceiling, addressing the TARDIS. "You know I don't like this. Shouldn't even be here." The only response was a brief pulse of the lights, the usual hum of the engines unbroken. Pasting on an overeager smile, she turned to Yaz. "Something I need to do. Shouldn't take more than an hour or two. Wait here." 

"I'm coming with you," Yaz was firm. It was a familiar dance, to which Yaz knew the steps by heart. Since the Doctor had come back from Gallifrey, Yaz had insisted on not being left behind. Even though it had been many months since the Doctor sent them back to Earth, she remembered that day like it was yesterday. The Doctor had shaken her off, dead set on facing the Master and the Cyber Time Lords alone. It was everything Yaz could do to restrain herself from going after her before the borrowed TARDIS took off. Every day afterward, plodding through her days as if sleepwalking, she regretted her choice. 

Until she came back.

The Doctor had shown up again, in the nick of time to stop a Dalek invasion. She'd told all of them the Master had been defeated, but her tone reflected more resignation than reassurance. She'd worn a cold, painful stare that day, one that Yaz had seen more and more often. She'd had gotten the impression more had happened there than the Time Lord was willing to let on, as the most mundane of things would set her off. She couldn't imagine what, but one thing she knew for sure: the Doctor should not be left alone.

"It's really not necessary Yaz." The Doctor's eerie calmness jerked her back to the present. "No aliens, nothin' dangerous. Something I need to take care of." 

"Then why can't I come with?" Yaz put her hands on her hips. "Can you at least tell me what it is?"

The question was like throwing a pebble in a pond, rippling her undisturbed exterior. "It's a memorial service. Don't normally go to these, but this is someone who...well, she's special to me."

Despite the Doctor's crestfallen look, Yaz couldn't help feel a pang of jealousy. She'd spoken of the fam-the former fam, now-in such glowing terms, she couldn't help but feel incredibly special to the Doctor. The feeling there was someone else, someone previously unknown to her, felt like a stab to the chest. However, curiosity about this unknown special woman got the better of her. Plus, the Doctor might need the support. She would insist she was fine, as usual, but Yaz knew better. 

She softened her voice. "Doctor, you might need someone. You know, for support. Why not let me come with you?" 

The Doctor studied her for a moment, immersed in thought. She gave a reluctant nod, letting her arms fall to her sides. "All right. But we are in and out. Don't tell anyone who we are."

"Okay," Yaz said. As she grabbed her coat, she wondered about the reason for secrecy. Would an old enemy of hers be there? She'd find out soon enough. 

They set out from the TARDIS, winding their way through a modest, but well kept neighborhood Yaz jammed her hands in her pockets to avoid the cold. She wished she'd worn something warmer than a t-shirt. The Doctor seemed unaffected by the cold, swinging her arms and surveying their surroundings, but with weariness rather than curiosity. She said little. Yaz paid attention to everything she did, absorbing it like a sponge. Sometimes, it was the only way to gauge what went on inside her.

Eventually, the silence became unbearable. "So, whose memorial service is it?" Yaz asked, in an attempt to make conversation.

"A friend. Sarah Jane Smith."

"A human?"

"Yes. We knew each other a long time ago."

"Good thing Graham isn't with us, huh? He'd want to stay for food afterward." Yaz tried to sound light, but the Doctor shot her a look that made her go quiet for the rest of the walk.

It was odd that she never mentioned Ryan and Graham. When they announced they were staying on Earth, the Doctor gave them a sad smile, and wished them well, but she never spoke of them. Yaz stopped in on her visits home to catch up with them, but the Doctor never came along. She almost got the feeling she was avoiding them. 

The Doctor stopped them outside a large reception hall, with people were spilling out at all sides. Yaz caught sight of groups of soldiers milling about, though the uniform wasn't one she recognized. "Was she in the military?"

The Doctor shook her head. "She was a journalist."

"Was she important?"

"They're all important." 

They stood at the back of the tent, as all the chairs and even the aisle space was taken. There must have been hundreds of people there. The Doctor scanned the crowd, a pleased smile tugging at her lips, with an occasional nod. It didn't occur to Yaz just then she wasn't dressed for a funeral, so she kept her jacket zipped up, despite feeling too hot from the crammed bodies. Beads of sweat slipped down her back. The Doctor was no more affected by heat than cold, though she wore her coat slightly open, a hint of rainbow peeking through. Yaz's attention drifted towards the display at the front. A large portrait of an older brunette woman with shoulder-length hair and a pleasant smile, lined with white roses.

An older blonde woman approached the podium, giving the audience a severe look. The low buzz of conversation hushed almost immediately.  
"Good afternoon, everyone. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Kate Stewart. We're here to celebrate the life of Sarah Jane Smith. She was a daughter, a friend, a reporter, a mentor, a mother.' she nodded to a man with his head bowed in the front row. "But many of you know her from her travels with the Doctor."

A ripple of conversation went through the room at the mention of the Doctor. Heads craned to look around, hoping to catch a glance of the elusive Time Lord. Yaz shot a furtive glance at the Doctor, waiting for her to say something, but she sat perfectly still, betraying nothing. She caught a few whispers from the crowd "different faces....prob'ly off fightin' Daleks...he doesn't like endings…"

"No, he's not here today." With her commanding voice, Kate brought silence to the hall once more. "We tried. We've tried many times, but we received no response. Well, we haven't for some time. He may not be here today, but he will feel her absence as much as we do, if not more."

Yaz glanced over at the Doctor again, trying not to stare. Her expression remained unchanged. She didn't want anyone to know she was here, but why?

Kate cleared her throat, continuing. " I didn't know Sarah Jane that well. She was a friend of my father's. But he spoke of her often, fondly. And I've learned so much about her from Luke and Sanjay. Sarah Jane had many adventures with the Doctor. And like most of us, her adventures continued long after they parted ways. She's had a remarkable journey, a journey on which we look back today. " 

Kate introduced the next speaker, the first in a long line of many. Yaz listened attentively, and she pieced together that Sarah Jane had met the Doctor when she was a young woman, decades earlier. She'd been determined to become a reporter at a time when few women were. How she snuck onto a UNIT base posing as her aunt. More often than not, the topic kept turning back to Sarah's adventures with the Doctor, fighting Sontarans and Zygons and so many others, Yaz couldn't keep track of them all. How Sarah challenged the Doctor, time, and time again. Some of the speakers started rambling on about their own adventures with the Doctor, long after Kate gave them a signal to stop. Meanwhile, Yaz kept a close eye on the Doctor, who gave a few small nods and the occasional frown. At one point during a story involving dinosaurs, the Doctor leaned over and whispered, "That's not how that happened." Her fists were curled at her sides as if she were trying to contain herself. Although Yaz couldn't help but be impressed, she felt so insignificant. She'd always known her knowledge of the universe was a thimbleful compared to the Doctor's but experiencing it for herself was an entirely different matter. 

As the service ended, the Doctor gave her a nudge. "Think I'd like to pay my respects to the family." 

The family consisted of Sarah's son, Luke, and there was a lengthy line of people waiting to talk to him. Around them, people were mingling, exchanging warm hugs, and swapping boisterous stories. A lot of them, from the snippets of conversation she caught, involved the Doctor. The Doctor's presence was everywhere, even as she remained anonymous. No wonder she hadn't wanted to identify herself; her presence would eclipse everything else. Yaz pondered what it meant for the Doctor to have a friend die. She could go back and time and see them, couldn't she? She could never picture leaving the TARDIS even though one day, she'd have to. 

At last, they reached the front of the line. The Doctor gave Luke a plaintive smile. "It was a lovely service. Well, not lovely given the circumstances, but everyone said beautiful things and it was everything your mum deserved. Was that all right to say? Sorry, not good with these things."

"Um, it was fine," Luke replied, slightly confused. The man who'd been introduced as Sanjay, his husband, had his arm around him, offering support. "I'm sorry, you are…?"

"An old friend of hers." 

It took a moment for Luke's eyes lit up in realization. He opened his mouth,  
then closed it. For a moment, Yaz thought he was going to alert the entire hall to the Doctor's presence, and she scanned the room for the nearest exit, in case they needed to make a quick escape. But instead, he simply beamed. "Thank you for coming."

Without another word, The Doctor tugged at Yaz, leading her towards the exit. "Thought we were keeping a low profile," she whispered to the Time Lord.

"He'll be quiet. He's extremely clever." The Doctor whispered back. She didn't say another word until they'd left. 

\--  
Back in the TARDIS, Yaz hugged her knees as she sat on the steps, watching the Doctor tinker with the console. Neither of them spoke of the planned trip to Mars, sensing the momentum had passed. The Doctor mumbled something about a vortex energy converter needing maintenance, but her attempts to fix it were half-hearted at best. She kept setting her spanner on the console and staring into the distance. Her face looked paler, pinched. Normally Yaz would be goading the Doctor with questions. Instead, she sat silent, contemplative. So many people had traveled with the Doctor before. How did she deal with leaving behind so many friends?

The Doctor let out a long sigh. She slumped over, elbows were propped up on the console as if the air was leaking out of her.

"Are you all right?" Yaz cautiously ventured. She immediately felt ridiculous for asking, but she wasn't sure what to say.

If the Doctor thought the question was stupid, she didn't show it. "I was just thinking of something Sarah Jane told me once. I was fighting the Krillitane with her and..." she broke off, features contorting into pain. She continued, quieter, looking directly at Yaz. "What she said was 'everything has its time, and everything ends.' Everyone moves on, in one way or another. They find their purpose somewhere else. Ideally."

Yaz supposed she meant it to be foreboding, but instead, she was struck with clarity. The Doctor had been showing her the universe, but today, she showed Yaz _her_ universe. Her friends. Her long past, stretching over countless millennia and numerous faces. Seeing them again, after all the time, must have been like cutting open scar tissue. But Yaz knew then no matter how many lives she lived, the Doctor would always care for them. 

She approached the Doctor, slipping a hand into hers. "Thank you for bringing me with today."

"Thank _you_ , Yaz."

She paused for a moment. "Would you tell me more about Sarah Jane?"

"I will. Sometime." A tentative smile, growing at the edge of her lips. And for once, Yaz believed she meant it.


End file.
